Legal Office Hours
powered by Orrick
Why?
We've seen firsthand how legal uncertainties slow down or impede student ventures—and with limited experience/resources, many early-stage founders have nowhere to turn for help.
Through Legal Office Hours we aim to help students resolve legal issues or get informed guidance on legal decisions that could shape their venture's structure and success.
We connect students with Orrick lawyers for quick professional advise. Orrick is one of the leading law firms for startup practice—they advise 5,000+ venture-backed startups, of which 100+ have a unicorn status (their recent work includes advising Anthropic on its $13B Series F and Mistral AI on its €1.7B Series C).
Each session provides two hours of legal consultations, divided into 15-minute slots to maximise the number of students we can help. Due to limited capacity, these office hours are limited to Cambridge students only.
What?
Legal Office Hours is a monthly initiative providing students with access to professional legal guidance on common venture-related questions including intellectual property, founder relations, incorporation, and investment advice—whether you're at the idea stage or already building.
For whom?
Open to Cambridge students only upon prior registration.
Perfect for anyone on the entrepreneurial journey—from early ideas and concepts to proof-of-concepts and beyond
No incorporated company required—come with your questions at any stage
Beyond the Office Hours
Building a venture means making legal decisions that shape your company's trajectory—sometimes immediately, often years down the line. Getting the fundamentals right early prevents costly mistakes and creates the foundation for everything that follows. Two resources to help you navigate this:
SeedSummit - Your library of core agreements. This European full-stack resource provides free, vetted legal document templates specifically for European startups (with a UK focus). Need a founders' agreement, advisor agreement, or term sheet? They've got you covered with documents that actually work in our context.
Orrick's Founder Series - Now at its 34th edition, this series breaks down legal concepts that early-stage founders encounter. Think of it as your crash course in startup legal literacy—from understanding vesting schedules to navigating investment terms, delivered in bite-sized, digestible formats.
Format
Sessions happen once per month, starting in November
Slot bookings open 1-2 weeks before each session and will be announced via the E-Lab newsletter.
You must register with a cam.ac.uk email address—other domains will be rejected
Each student receives one 15-minute consultation slot per session. Come prepared with streamlined questions to maximise your time
The Office Hours are powered by:
About Orrick: Orrick advises nearly 5,000 venture-backed companies, including 100+ unicorns (startup companies valued at over $1B which is privately owned and not listed on a share market) and 13 of the 25 largest public tech companies. Their recent work includes advising Anthropic on its $13B Series F at a $183B post-money valuation (plus prior rounds), and Mistral AI's €1.7B Series C at an €11.7B valuation. They also work with the most active VCs, funds, and corporate venture arms.
About the lawyers: The lawyers dedicating their time to these office hours bring experience across the full spectrum: venture capital, growth equity, PE and M&A (including cross-border deals), management buyouts, secondary transactions, and exits. They understand both the immediate questions you're facing and where your journey might lead.
Need more info?
Contact Zarja Hude.
